A look back

AFTER THE LIBRARY moved out of this building (seen here in 1969) on Comox Avenue, it was used as a hair salon. / Photo courtesy Comox Archives and Museum

Every Friday we feature Valley history taken from our back issues.

Five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Cumberland council was prepared to signed off on an agreement with Trilogy Properties for residential development in the Village — it just wanted to hear from the public first.

The tentative memorandum of understanding outlined up to $7.8 million in amenities payments to the Village, including a $4.32-million infusion for water and sewer upgrades if the initial lots were approved.

Mayor Fred Bates said the village was satisfied with the work of its negotiators and was ready to receive public input on the document.

Ten years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Courtenay residents were waiting to hear whether they would be asked to cast their ballots again.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice R.B. Harvey was mulling over what his decision would be after five Sandwick area voters signed a petition to have the Nov. 16 election overturned. The area was absorbed by Courtenay just six days before voting day and the residents said they didn't have time to prepare for the election.

Fifteen years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

A Courtenay man said he was lucky to be alive after rescuers pulled him from a coal mine collapse near Campbell River.

Mike Pearo was knocked unconscious by the fall which killed two other miners in the Quinsam Coal Number 5 Main.

"I knew I had nothing broken...I was bleeding from a few places, but nothing bad," he said of when he came to.

About 30 minutes later he heard rescuers calling his name. They then cleared about 30 feet of rubble out of the tunnel to get to Pearo.

Twenty years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

Residents eager to hear a court trial regarding four men and a whopping five tons of hashish found out they'd have to wait for over half a year.

Four men were arrested after a raid on a home and workshop on Back Road a couple of months earlier yielded about five tons of hashish with an estimated street value of $68 million. Each man was released on $100,000 bail in early December plus sureties of $30,000.

The court room was packed in January when the men entered not guilty pleas and their next appearance was set for September 20 in Nanaimo because it was expected to be a 10-day trial and the Courtenay court didn't have time until fall.

Twenty five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:

A chunk of a meteor the size of a car's engine block was thought to have fallen into Strathcona Park. Scientists believed it fell near Della Falls and planned to search for it when the snow cleared in spring.

Mount Washington ski patrol saw a bright fireball explode over the park, and a seismograph recorded movement equivalent to a small earthquake.

The meteor fragment was thought to be one of the biggest meteors ever spotted in the province.